Trumpeter Lucienne Renaudin Vary’s playing has an airy, effortless quality – her notes, phrases and melodies float as lightly as if played on a recorder. »The trumpet is a wonderful and unique instrument,« says the young French artist. The musician, who always performs barefoot, showcases her virtuosity with a composure that is as enviable as it is inimitable. Determined not to be confined by tradition, she embraces a wide-ranging repertoire. While baroque and classical works are a natural fit for the trumpet, jazz is far more than a flirtation for her. She gives it equal standing alongside classical music, delighting in the works of Gershwin, Sidney Bechet and Astor Piazzolla. Her jazz performances feature improvisation in the swing tradition and she even leads her own quintet.
In the »Elbphilharmonie Talk«, Lucienne Renaudin Vary shares her admiration for her hometown of Le Mans, a small town around 200 kilometers southwest of Paris. She expresses her deep love for both the sea and France. Candidly, she reveals a preference for shoebox-shaped concert halls over round ones like the Elbphilharmonie Grand Hall – despite having performed there more than a dozen times. Her favourite trumpeter? She doesn’t name the usual icons like Louis Armstrong or Miles Davis. Instead, her musical affections lie with West Coast beau Chet Baker, the fallen angel of jazz.
